The recent PlayStation Showcase gave eager fans the E3-style presentation of games they were looking forward to all summer. Among the many surprises, announcements, and trailers were the highly anticipatedGod of War: Ragnarok. Ever since the very positive reception to the revival of the iconic PlayStation series in 2018, fans have been awaiting any scraps of news about the sequel. Most of these fans asked the director of 2018’sGod of War,Cory Barlog, for any information and he would consistently say that he’s “never heard of it.” While it may seem like simply trolling and having a bit of fun, it has finally been confirmed that Cory Barlog will not be returning as the director ofGod of War: Ragnarokand is instead working on an unannounced project.
This news may make some fans uneasy about the future of the series and the state of the sequel, however, changing directors ofGod of Wargames has been a tradition for the entire series. In fact,Cory Barlogis the only repeat director in the series, the 2018 revival and PS2 classicGod of War 2.The tough job of game director has instead been relegated to Eric Williams, who has worked on every game’s combat in some form since the very first entry on PlayStation 2. Even though Williams has yet to direct a game, he is still a solid choice to end the Norse saga with, due to his years of design experience on the franchise.
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Change is Good for God of War
After the incredible success of the 2018God of Warrevival, many people were hoping for a repeat in terms of quality for its sequel. This means that they wanted to seeCory Barlog return as the directorand one of the writers for the sequel that he set up. However,God of Waras a series has never been about repeating the past, both thematically and practically. The fact that the series got its second wind in the brand new land of Norse Mythology is proof of this fact. It has also been confirmed thatGod of War: Ragnarokwill be the final entry in this Norse saga and not just the second part of a trilogy. Sony Santa Monica is not overstaying its welcome in these frigid lands and the series will be shaken up once again afterRagnarok.
Thematically, so much of the story for 2018’sGod of Warrevolved around Kratos attempting to change from a bloodthirsty god-killer to a good father, and the conflicts that such a drastic change can cause. The series has always been about not living in the past and attempting to grow as a person. TheoriginalGod of Wargameswere set in Greek Mythology and dealt with Kratos stopping at nothing to have his revenge for being tricked into murdering his family. Though his methods may have been a little extreme, once that goal was met Kratos finally reached a sense of peace and was able to move on. Kratos' peace was unfortunately short-lived when his wife, Laufey, died and his past began to haunt him once again.
Practically, the job of game director is an intense one, to say the least. At a well-known studio such as Sony Santa Monica, it simply isn’t feasible for someone to direct two games in the same series back-to-back. In fact, there is a long precedent for switchingGod of Wardirectors after each game. Ever since the firstGod of Warin 2005 by David Jaffe, the series has had a new director for each entry with no repeats until Barlog directed 2018’sGod of War. This is not to say that Cory Barlog will have nothing to do withGod of War: Ragnarokas his tweets seem to suggest, as it is believed that he will still be acting as a producer for the title.
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God of War Directors
In the post-showcase interviews, the role of director was confirmed to be belonging to Eric Williams instead of Cory Barlog. Williams has a long list of video game credits within not just the industry, but theGod of Warfranchise as well. He got his start in the industry working as a designer and lead designer forMarvel gamesX-Men: Mutant Academy 2andX-Men: Next Dimension, respectively. Williams then worked in designing and defining the combat systems for the first twoGod of Wargames. Since then he has continued to provide design support and consulting for every game in theGod of Warfranchise, butRagnarokwill be his first time directing a game.
Given all the exciting-looking new combat mechanics seen in the reveal trailer, Williams' talent for gameplay design seems to be at the forefront. However, as was expected, the story and relationship between Kratos and Atreus will still be very much integral to theGod of War: Ragnarokexperience. The trailer showcased many story-beats such as a fight with Freya, a confrontation with theNorse god of war Tyr, as well as the last remaining Giant being involved in the plot. The main driver of having a new director for each game is to ensure that there is a fresh perspective on the series and to avoid telling the same story multiple times. Williams is intending on juxtaposing ordinary everyday interactions with big, exciting setpieces against the backdrop of Norse Mythology. He hopes that this clash will lead to a surprising, but inevitable ending for the Norse saga.
Within that same post-showcase interview,Cory Barlog essentially confirmed a new projectbut refused to share any concrete details. It seems likely that further news about Barlog’s next project won’t come out until afterGod of War: Ragnarokreleases. In any case, Kratos and company should be safe in the hands of Eric Williams at Santa Monica Studios. The decision to have someone else besides Barlog directGod of War:Ragnarokwas absolutely not made out of ill will, but rather keeping in tradition with the company’s own patterns for the series.
God of War: Ragnarokis set to release on PS4 and PS5 in 2022.
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